Brake-block



(No Model.)

W. H. SAUVAGE &u R. J. PUQUA.

BRAKE BLOCK.

No. 544,830. Patented Aug. 20, 1895.

I, II MILI!! mmw 'l m "mmm !1 UNHED -STATES ATENT rrron NVILLTAM H. SAUVAGE AND RICHARD J. FUQUA, OF DURANGO, COLQRADO.

BRAKE-BLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 544,830, dated August 20, 1895. Application filed January 12, 1895. Serial No. 534,'707. (No model.)

To cil whom izi may concern:

Be it known 'that we, WILLIAM I-I. SAU- VAGE and RICHARD J. FUQUA, citizens of 'the i United States, residing at Dnrango, in the county of La Plata and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Brake-Block, ot' which the following is a specification.

Our in vention relates to brake-blocks; and it has for its object to provide a simple and efficient device in which the shoe is forced or crowded against a wheel after application by the frictional contact therewith of the wheel in rotation.

Further objects and advantagesof the in- Vention. will appear from the following description, and the novel features thereof will be particularly pointed ont in the appended claims. p

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a brake-block embodying our invention. Fig. 2 is a side view with the removable plate partly broken away. Fig. 3 is a transverse section. Fig. 4 is a dctail view in perspective of the shoe.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding partsin all the figures of the drawngs. a

1 designates a brakc-block provided with I an integral casing 2, which is cored to form a cavity 3, the walls of the cavity being provided with slots 4: for the reception of the' The front wall of the revoluble brake-bar 5. cavity in the block is arranged at an inclination or divergence from the face of the block, said divergence being upward, and this inclined or divergent Wallis provided with teeth to form a rack -bar 6, which is thns disposed at an inclination to or a divergence from the face of the shoe, Keyed upon the brake-bar within the cavity of the block is a spur-gear 7, the teeth of which mesh with the teeth of the rack-bar. It will be seen that if the brakebar is held from vertical movement and the face of the block is brought into contact with the rim of a rotating wheel by turning the brake-bar the block will be moved downward and the inclination of the rack will 'cause the face of the block to move toward the whee and crowd against the rim thereof.

The cavity in the block is closed at one side by a removable plate S, and the shoe is pro Vided cont'guous to its face with lateral, beveled, or dovetailed ribs 9, one of said ribs be ing formed upon the contiguous edge of said removable plate. The shoe 10 is provided in its rear or convex side with a dovetailed channel or seat 11 for the reception of the face of the block, the beveled or dovetailed lateral ribs on the block engaging the undercut flanges 12 at the side vedges of the shoe.. It will be seen that the shoe serves to hold the removable plate of the block in place, and that when worn said shoe may be removed and replaced by another without detracting from the operativeness of the device and at a small expense. a

From the above description it will be seen that the improved brake-block has an automatic clamping action, which results upon bringing its face in contact with a moving surface, and therefore the brake may he used in connection with vehicle-wheels of all classes, including carriages, wagons, street-cars &0. It will be seen, furthermore, that the construction is simple, in that the use of springs or other parts having a similar action is avoided. I

The brake is especially suitable for use in connection with four-wheel car-trucks, which it is usually necessary to check when going in either direction, and by connecting duplicate sets of the improved brake-block in such a manner as to cause the strain upon one set to be communicated to the other the operation of an ordinary brake-lever will, without excessive exertion upon the part of the operator, apply the brakes to all of the wheels of the truck.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this IOO of the block and diverges therefrom toward its upper end, and e spur-gear fixed to the breke-bar and meshing With the rack, substantially as specified. 5 3. The combination With a rotatable brakebar, of a brakeblock having a cavity closed at one side by the removable-plate, a'spurgear fixed to the breke-bar and engaging a rack on the front Wall of the cavity of the block, the block and the removable-plate thereof being provided adjacent to the face of the block With late'ai beveled ribs, and a removable-shoe provided with a dove-tailed of under-cut channel to receive the face of the block, substantiaily as specified.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as our own We have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. SAUVAGE. RICHARD J. FUQUA.

J. C. HENDERSON, 

